Thomas Sheraton

Sheraton, Thomas, 1751–1806, English designer of furniture and author. He may have been apprenticed to a cabinetmaker, and as an earnest Baptist he wrote religious books and preached. Records show that he was in London from c.1790 and supplemented the meager earnings from his books by giving drawing lessons. Although he may have supervised the making of some furniture, his designs became influential through his manuals, especially the Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing-Book (1791–94). Sheraton's style is marked by a graceful delicacy and simplicity, emphasis on straight, vertical lines, and a preference for inlay decoration, reeded legs, and classical motifs. He is also the author of The Cabinet Dictionary (1803).